


if you'll be my star (i'll be your sky)

by sunsetozier



Series: tumblr prompts [3]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M, references family drama, this is cute i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 01:24:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15183671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetozier/pseuds/sunsetozier
Summary: Eddie rolls his eyes, but his curiosity outweighs the instinct to scold Richie’s choice of pet name, keeping him quiet as he slowly walks forward to duck under the branch, already looking around to take in their surroundings, only to come to a sudden halt at what he sees. In front of him, there’s a small bit of a clearing leading to a drop, and beyond the drop is the faint glow of street lights, buildings, and porches – all of which is coming from Derry, way below and far away from them. Feeling a little breathless, Eddie makes his way closer, scanning over the view slowly, carefully. “What is this?”“This is a cliff,” Richie states matter-of-factly.“That’s not what I—” Eddie stops, frowning as he looks down at the drop before him. “Okay, no, this is ahill, Richie. That’s not nearly steep enough to be a cliff.”[In which Richie and Eddie have some things to get off their chests.]





	if you'll be my star (i'll be your sky)

**Author's Note:**

> this was a prompt sent in my richietoaster!! the prompt was:
> 
> That Way You Said "I Love You"  
> #3: a scream

            Eddie Kaspbrak knows everything there is to know about Richie Tozier.

            It’s only inevitable, really – after knowing each other for as long as they have, growing up side by side, almost every minute of every day spent together, there’s no wonder that Eddie has the entirety of Richie’s soul memorized like a god damn book. If anyone were to approach him and ask any question they had about Richie, he could offer the correct answer without even a second of hesitation, because he just knows. He knows Richie, and Richie knows him, and that’s just how it is.

            So the fact that Richie is still able to catch him off guard and surprise him is, to put it simply, frustrating as _fuck_.

            “Can you just tell me where we’re going?” Eddie asks, not for the first time, and definitely not for the last. He tugs at Richie’s sweater sleeve childishly and juts his lower lip out just enough to make it clear that he will pout the entire way to wherever they’re headed if he doesn’t get an actual answer.

            Richie just flashes him a grin, through, and pulls his sleeve out of Eddie’s grasp in order to drape an arm over his shoulders and pull him closer. “No can do, Eds. Gotta keep you on the edge of your seat sometimes.”

            For a moment, Eddie considers ducking out from Richie’s arm just to throw a toddler-style tantrum in the middle of the dirt path that they’re been walking on for who knows how long, but he opts not to when the warmth of Richie’s touch washes over his body. With an annoyed huff, he crosses his own arms over his chest and turns his head to meet Richie’s gaze with a glare. “You’re an asshole,” he states.

            “Oh, am I?” Richie questions, head tilted to the side, lips pulled back into a half smile, half smirk kind of thing that Eddie kinds of was to admire and kind of wants to physically slap away. “Huh, that’s weird. If I’m such an asshole, why do you bother to spend so much time with me?”

            Eddie parts his lips to retort with a simple _you know why_ , but he stops short, heart skipping a beat in his chest. They’ve been teetering on this line for quite some time now, this line of flirtation that seems a little too genuine to pass as something friendly, but neither of them have brought it up this far, and Eddie isn’t sure if now’s a good time to try. So, he shakes his head slightly, shrugs, and answers, “You’re like a leach. If I didn’t agree to hang out with you, you’d just bug me until I gave in. I’ve learned to just deal with it and suffer.”

            “Oh, _ouch_ ,” Richie hisses, though his eyes are alight with amusement, glazed over with a certain fondness, and it’s that fondness that makes Eddie wish he said what he wanted too, because there’s something in Richie’s gaze, a delicate glint of sorts, that’s far stronger than when he looks at one of the other losers. It’s a look that is only ever directed at Eddie, and Eddie absolutely relishes in the feeling of having Richie’s attention so attuned to him, in the thought that he’s not the only one who can feel his heart in his chest, light and jittery and kind of fuzzy, too. “Fine, I’ll just get Ben to join me on my next late night adventure, since you clearly don’t appreciate them. Last time I try to get you out of that hellhole you live in. Which, you’re totally welcome, by the way. Y’know, since you haven’t thanked me for getting you away from your mom yet.”

            Eddie doesn’t answer, pressing his lips together and averting his gaze to the ground, scanning over the rocks and the sticks as he steps over them. A strange silence settles over them, one that should be uncomfortable and heavy, but it isn’t.

            Richie lets out a gentle breath, almost a sigh, and asks, “It was a bad night, wasn’t it?”

            With a frown, Eddie nods curtly, leaning a bit further into Richie’s body for comfort. “Yeah, it was. Probably the worst one in a few months. How’d you know?”

            “I just had a feeling,” Richie shrugs, guiding Eddie around a curve in the path and withdrawing his arm to climb over a fairly large log blocking the way. He holds out a hand in a silent offer to help Eddie, even though he knows Eddie is twice as strong as he is and could vault himself over with no problem, and Eddie barely suppresses a smile when he accepts, placing his own hand in Richie’s outstretched one. Once Eddie is on the other side of the log, Richie waits to see if Eddie with drop his hand. When he doesn’t, Richie grins and intertwines their fingers, continuing their journey down the path as he says, “I think I have Eddie Senses. You know how Peter Parker has Spidey Senses? It’s like that, but with you. Like, I can just tell when something’s wrong. I can feel it, and I’m almost never wrong.”

            “I think you just want to be Spider-Man so bad that you’re willing to believe anything that makes you sound like him,” Eddie points out.

            Richie shrugs again. “You’re not wrong, but I mean it. We’re, like, thoroughly connected, I think.”

            Unable to help himself, Eddie lets out a little laugh and squeezes Richie’s hand slightly. He feels his heart skip a beat when Richie returns the gesture. “How far away are we? I’m getting tired of walking, and it’s gotta be at least midnight by now. My mom left after our argument, but if she decides to come home and finds that I’m not there—”

            “She won’t be able to do anything,” Richie interrupts. “You’re eighteen, Eds. She can call the cops if she wants, but unless you’re gone for a full twenty-four hours, they’re not gonna do much.” He bumps his shoulder against Eddie’s lightly and offers a small smile. “You don’t have to live your life trying to please her, you know. You’re allowed to just… live.”

            “I could tell you the same thing,” Eddie fires back, though not harshly. Immediately, Richie’s smile falls and he turns away, looking at the path ahead of them as they walk. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how red your eyes were when you showed up. You were crying, weren’t you?” Richie doesn’t answer at first, pressing his lips into a thin line, and for a moment Eddie thinks he shouldn’t have asked, but then Richie nods slowly, brows twitching together a small bit. Eddie can see the shine of fresh tears in Richie’s eyes, the moonlight reflecting in them, and he feels an ache in his chest at the sight. Softly, he asks, “Was it about Columbia?”

            Richie lets out a sharp exhale, one that almost sounds like a laugh, and shakes his head. “Stanford,” he corrects, his tongue jutting out to lick his lower lip – a nervous habit. “Went found out that I didn’t even _try_ applying there, and he… he means well, and he wants the best for me, but he just doesn’t get it, you know? I don’t- I don’t _want_ to go to some big, prestigious university. I don’t _want_ to be a lawyer, or a doctor, or any of the things that he thinks I’d be good at. That I _know_ I’d be good at.” He pauses, letting out a long, slow sigh, and then tries for a smile. “Mags is ready to kick his ass if he starts grilling me any harder, though. Seriously, I started crying and she looked ready to fucking Hulk out. I mean- she doesn’t really get it either, but she’s trying to, and she thinks he’s gonna come around eventually. But he’s a hard ass, and he always has been, so… we’ll see, I guess.”

            Nodding slowly, Eddie tells him, “Well, he’s a dumbass if he doesn’t start supporting you.”

            “And your mom’s a dick if she doesn’t start treating like an adult,” Richie responds breezily. “Or, better yet, like a fucking human at all.”

            Eddie fails to bite back a grin at that, turning his head to face the ground. It’s that action, though, that reminds him of where they are and what they’re doing; with a slow blink, he looks back up at Richie and asks, “Seriously, where the hell are we going? We’ve been walking for, like, twenty minutes. I’m starting to think you got us lost in the woods.”

            Letting out a small bark of laughter, Richie shakes his head. “We’re not lost, but thanks for that vote of confidence.”

            “Well, tell me where the fuck we’re going, and maybe I’ll believe you,” Eddie retorts, cocking a brow at Richie stubbornly. “And no more surprise bullshit, alright?”

            “Lucky for you,” Richie says, letting go of Eddie’s hand in order to jog ahead, pushing up a branch hanging in the way, “we’re here. Take a look for yourself, my dear.”

            Eddie rolls his eyes, but his curiosity outweighs the instinct to scold Richie’s choice of pet name, keeping him quiet as he slowly walks forward to duck under the branch, already looking around to take in their surroundings, only to come to a sudden halt at what he sees. In front of him, there’s a small bit of a clearing leading to a drop, and beyond the drop is the faint glow of street lights, buildings, and porches – all of which is coming from Derry, way below and far away from them. Feeling a little breathless, Eddie makes his way closer, scanning over the view slowly, carefully. “What is this?”

            “This is a cliff,” Richie states matter-of-factly.

            “That’s not what I—” Eddie stops, frowning as he looks down at the drop before him. “Okay, no, this is a _hill_ , Richie. That’s not nearly steep enough to be a cliff.”

            Richie shrugs and approaches Eddie to stand by his side, his grin wide and somewhat lopsided. “Okay, it’s not a cliff, but it’s fucking breathtaking, right?” He nods out towards the town, letting out a soft breath as he takes it in himself, and when Eddie looks up at him, he finds that it’s impossible to look away. The lights are gorgeous, sure, but they looks much better reflected in Richie’s eyes. “Derry may be complete horse shit, but it’s not too shabby to look at.”

            With a gentle hum, Eddie tears his gaze away from Richie to look at the scenery once more, crossing his arms over his chest as the night air starts to seep through his clothes. “It’s a pretty sight, that’s for sure, but… what are we doing here?”

            There’s a moment of silence that follows, stretching on just long enough to make Eddie think he may not get a reply, but then Richie shuffles his feet and ducks his head to watch as he scuffs the toe of his shoes against the dirt. The action is oddly shy and bashful, drawing Eddie’s attention immediately as Richie faces away from him completely, wiping the palms of his hands against his jeans nervously. Eddie watches, baffled by this behavior, as Richie glances at Derry, at Eddie, at the ground, and back again, eyes flickering back and forth as he parts his lips, presses them together, parts them, over and over, like a fish out of water, before settling on answering with, “I thought we could, like… just… get some stuff off of our chests, you know?”

            Slowly, Eddie shakes his head, only more confused. “I’m not following.”

            “Like- _shit_ ,” Richie hisses, running a hand through his hair and gnawing on his lower lip, squinting out at Derry as if trying to find the right words spelled out in the lights. There’s nothing there, Eddie knows, but Richie seems to find what he needs as he lets out a slow sigh, dropping his arms back to dangle at his sides. Eddie takes a small step closer, unsure of whether or not he should reach out right now, but is swiftly interrupted by Richie saying, “It’s late, there’s no one else here, and we both are dealing with a lot of shit, right? So I thought we could just… let it out. Yell about it, like they do in the movies, and see if it helps.”

            Eddie blinks, brows twitching up before furrowing together slightly. “We’re not _that_ far from town, Rich. People would probably hear us.”

            “Not if they’re asleep, like normal people usually are at this time,” Richie points out meekly, before shaking his head. “I dunno, it’s… I know it’s stupid, but I have so many things I want to just shout about and I don’t want to do it alone. Figured, y’know, maybe you’d want to shout about a few things, too.”

            “I…” Eddie trails off, and he knows he should be gaping at Richie incredulously, because this is ridiculous, no doubt about that, but… there’s something oddly endearing about seeing Richie like this. And knowing that Richie chose to bring Eddie with him because he didn’t want to be alone is enough to make Eddie’s heart melt into a puddle. Really, he has no choice but to go along with Richie’s plan, even if he doesn’t quite understand it.

            If it’ll make Richie smile, he’d do anything.

            “You go first.”

            Richie falters, looking over at Eddie in shock, as if not expecting him to agree, which is a fair assumption. Eddie is more than capable of being loud and brass and all the things that Richie is often associated with, but he usually holds himself back from that for the sake of pleasing his mother.

            But Sonia isn’t here right now, and Eddie’s eighteen, so fuck that.

            Slowly, almost a little shaky, Richie nods and looks back at the town lights, his jaw set and his shoulders squared. A moment of silence goes by where Richie takes a deep breath, before shouting, “I don’t think I want to go to college!” His words echo in the night, ringing back in their ears for a moment before being swallowed by the quiet, and it occurs to Eddie how strange this much look, two boys who are barely adults raising their voices just to hear it echo, but he can also see the relief on Richie’s face. Like admitting it out loud feels like taking a weight off his shoulder, and suddenly it doesn’t feel so strange anymore.

            Reaching down to grab Richie’s hand again, Eddie faces the lights and yells, “I don’t want to live with my mom anymore!”

            And from there, they go back and forth.

            The things they shout range anywhere from serious _(“I’m scared to grow up!”)_ to completely fucking stupid _(“Sometimes I think Stan’s a furry and that worries me!”)._ Eventually, their voices dwindle down into helpless little giggles, leaning into one another as they snicker under their breaths. Eddie can’t suppress the grin stretched out over his lips, a light, airy feeling swelling in his chest, and he doesn’t want this night to end, doesn’t want to burst this bubble that they’re in.

            “I’ve got one more,” Richie suddenly states, and he peels himself away from Eddie’s side for this one, stepping forward and sending Eddie a little wink over his shoulder. “It’s the most important one, so I’ve gotta make it the loudest.” Then, he brings up his hands to cup them around his mouth, amplifying his voice even further as he practically screams, _“I’m in love with Eddie Kaspbrak!”_

            Eddie can feel his heart stutter, and then pound loudly in his ears.

            _Thud._

            Richie doesn’t turn around, instead just slowly lowers his hands back to his sides, letting out a breath so heavy that Eddie fears he’ll run out of oxygen.

            _Thud._

            “You- what?”

            “I…”

            Stepping forward, Eddie tentatively reaches out and grips onto the fabric of Richie’s sweater, tugging lightly to try and get him to turn around. Somewhat reluctantly, Richie obliges, keeping his head ducked down as he turns his body to face Eddie. Softly, with another small step, Eddie asks, “You mean that? Or are you joking?”

            Swallowing thickly, Richie offers a shrug. “Do you want me to be joking?”

            _Thud._

            “No,” Eddie answers after a moment of hesitation. Richie glances up then, meeting his gaze with wide eyes as Eddie shuffles even closer. “No, I- I don’t want you to be joking. Please tell me that wasn’t a joke.”

            “Then I meant it,” Richie murmurs, and he sounds like he’s trying to sound confident, but he’s quiet, uncertain and afraid.

_Thud._

            Eddie takes in a deep breath, releasing Richie’s sweater and bringing his hand up to cradle Richie’s cheek in his palm. He feels like the world around them has come to a sluggish standstill, the lights blurring in his peripheral as he leans forward – not all the way, but enough for their noses to brush up against one another, drawing out a sharp breath from the both of them. They stay there for a moment, frozen in time and space and everything else there may be, until Richie leans in and—

            _Thud. Thud. Thud._

            —tilts his head to the side so that there’s nothing in the way, their breaths mingling together between the small space between their faces—

            _Thud Thud Thud Thud_

            —and then the space is so miniscule that Eddie thinks they’re touching, are they touching? He feels like they might be, but maybe that’s just Richie’s breath puffing against him, but no, no they’re—

            _ThudThudThudThudThudThud_

            —kissing. He, Eddie Kaspbrak, is kissing his best friend, Richie Tozier. Richie Tozier is kissing him. They’re kissing each other on the top of a hill twenty minutes into the woods with Derry, Maine glowing in the distance, the lights a pretty sight but nothing compared to the pure beauty that is the two of them clutching onto each other like they’re terrified to let go. Richie’s lips are soft and warm and slick against Eddie’s, movements languid and slow, not at all rushed or hurried. They have all the time in the world and they know it.

            Richie smiles into the kiss, his hands finding purchase on Eddie’s hips and pulling him closer. Unable to help himself, Eddie’s lips twitch into a wide grin that effectively breaks the kiss altogether, leaving them breathing heavily with their foreheads pressed together.

            With a little giggle, Eddie pecks Richie’s lips quickly, his eyes bright, the Derry lights reflecting in them as he looks at Richie lovingly. “I’m totally joking.”

            “I—” Richie stops, blinking, before leaning back with an incredulous laugh. “What, by kissing me? The kiss was a joke?”

            “First of all, you’re the one that technically started the kiss. Second of all, no, that was very serious.” Eddie says, and then shrugs lightly. “I’m talking about the thing I said earlier about Stan being a furry. I don’t _think_ he is, I _know_ it, and I have proof.”

            Richie parts his lips, falters, and shakes his head. “Okay, we’re coming back to that kissing thing later, because you’re the one that grabbed my face and looked at me all cute and kissable, but that can wait. Right now, I need you to tell me your proof in excruciating detail. Leave nothing out. I want to hear it all.”

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think and hmu on tumblr @ sunsetozier!!


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